1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exercising devices for mounting on the shoulders and behind the neck to perform twisting and bending motions about the waist for firming and toning the muscles and tissues.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The human body exercise sometimes referred to as "twists" generally involves placing a shaft-like device, or exercising bar, along the back of the neck and resting on the shoulders, with the arms draped over the top of the bar or the hands grasping the ends. The user then goes through a series of exercising movements, the natural result of which is to exert tension on muscles and tissues of the chest, stomach, sides and lower back. In one of those movements, the body is twisted, or rotated, from side to side. In another, the body is bent at the waist while the user attempts to touch one end of the shaft or bar to the opposite foot. A number of devices have been designed to perform these exercises, including some described in the patent literature. None of them are entirely satisfactory, however.
For instance, a very common device for this exercise is an ordinary broom handle. It has the attributes of being light in weight and easy to use, and also the obvious benefits of being relatively inexpensive and readily available. Unfortunately, it is also very uncomfortable, causing unnecessary strain because the shoulders must necessarily be retracted far backward to accommodate the straight line of the shaft.
Variations on this straight shaft theme occur in the patent literature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,162 (William J. Oates, dated May 21, 1985) describes a weighted exercise bar which comprises joined sections and weighted end portions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,591 (Kenzell Evans, dated May 24, 1981) describes another exercise device, comprised of a plurality of sections, with vertically disposed hand grips on the ends. The devices of these patents are essentially constructed of straight shafts, and they would be expected to suffer from the same shortcomings of an ordinary broom handle.
A somewhat better design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,781 (John F. Kane, dated June 28, 1974). The bar device described there has a yoke-like midsection, roughly in the shape of a semi-circle, which fits around the user's neck. This enables the shoulders to be held more forward and the neck in a more comfortable upright position while the bar is being used.